Book-holder



E. J. WOOD.

BOOK HOLDER. r No. 290,381 Patented Dec. 18, 1883. 4

WITISIM INVENTOR: V 75" Q I BY fi ATTORNEYS.

Y5 UNTTEED STATES PATENT Oriucs.

ELBRIDGE J. WOOD, OF PALMER, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOOK-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 290,381, dated December 18, 1883.

A Application filed April 19, 1883. ModeL) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELBRIDGE J. WOOD, of Palmer, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Book-Holder, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved device for holding a book open and at the same time forming a convenient rest for the book.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure l is a perspective view of my improved book-holder. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same, showing the manner in which it holds the book.

A board, A, upon which the book is to rest is provided with a wide central transverse groove, A, for receivingthe back of the book B, placed on the board. The covers 0 of the book rest on the raised parts of the board at each side of the groove A, and are held on the said raised parts by spring-tongues D, secured to the upper surface of the raised parts, the free ends of the spring-tongues pressing downward on the said raised parts. Parallel with and a short distance from each end a recess, E, is formed in each raised part of the board,

. which recesses are open at the upper edge of the board. In the said recesses sliding frames F are held, which are bent upward at their outer ends and then form spring-arms G, inclined downward and toward the upper surface of the board, which spring-arms have pads H, secured on their free ends. The said pads are pressed onthe leaves of the book and hold the said leaves down. A pintle or screw, J, passes down through each slot and through each slide F and prevents the said slides from being withdrawn from the slots entirely. The slides F and the spring-arms G-can be made of wire in one piece; or the slides can be made of metal plates provided with longitudinal slots through which the screws J pass. If the leaf is to be turned, the spring-arms Gare raised and the slidesF are withdrawn upward from the recesses, so that the arms G will be entirely out of the way of the leaves. The

slides F are held in this position by the fric-- tion caused by the pressure of the spring against the sides of the recesses. After the leaf has been turned the slides F are pushed back again and the spring-arms G are raised and are released, so that their pads can press on the book. The slides can be adjusted, as may be desired, so that the pads rest on the leaves a greater or less distance from their upper edges.

This device can be placed on vessels, desks, music-racks, &c. It holds the book in place, thus relieving the hands, and holds the leaves down flat and smooth.

For holding open a music-book at the piano or organ, the book-holder should be applied to the top of the book, which renders the operation of the slides and arms much more convenient, and the book rests on the instrument in the usual way; but for other uses the holder may be attached to the top or bottom of the book, as preferred.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent The board A, having the median transverse groove, A, spring-tongues D D, and recesses E E, in combination with the sliding frames F, having spring-arms G,with pads H, to form a book-holder, as described.

. ELBRIDGE J. WVOOD.

Witnessesz CHARLES L. GARDNER, ENos OALKINs. 

